


your soul is on fire (a shot in the dark)

by ThalassaJ



Series: of shadows and fire [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Assassination Plot(s), Canon-Typical Violence, Do not translate without permission or copy to another site/app, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Pre-Canon, Shadowbending & Shadowbenders
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:54:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24697144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThalassaJ/pseuds/ThalassaJ
Summary: After her mother had brought her, half-mad with grief, to a secluded town on the edge of the Fire Nation, Kurami had tried her best to live a normal life.However, when word of the Fire Prince's departure from the capital reaches the wrong ears, Kurami is drawn back into the world she wanted to leave behind.—Canon!AU. A former assassin meets a banished prince, and they save each other's lives.
Series: of shadows and fire [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1785511
Kudos: 6





	1. prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy birthday, kaish! this one's for you.

"Do you think I'm cursed?" Kurami asks.

They were in a forest with a name that neither of them remembered, nearly a week’s ride away from the nearest village. Above them, pinpoints of stars slowly came into view as bright oranges and golds gave way to the deep blue-gray of dusk. They had stopped for the night, setting up camp by a little stream that burbled softly as it curved through the trees.

Kai looks up from the fish she had been scaling for dinner, a troubled frown crossing her face. 

“What makes you think that?” 

Her daughter shrugs, absently petting their ostrich horse on the head as he eats an apple eagerly out of her palm. At her feet, the shadows move almost restlessly, nearly solid in the firelight. 

Kai sighs softly in understanding. “This is about what Jian said.” 

Kurami ducks her head. 

“Shadowbenders are omens of death,” she murmurs, a few seconds later. “It was...he said that it was a good thing. That I was blessed by the Spirits, and I should be happy, I would be able to use it in the war. But…” Her throat tightens. “I didn’t want—not like _this._ ”

Kai gently grasps her shoulder, startling her out of her spiraling thoughts and urging her to turn around. “It wasn’t your fault,” she says firmly. “You couldn’t have known. None of us did.” 

She cups Kurami’s cheek, bringing her face up to look her in the eye. “You can’t keep blaming yourself for something that was out of your control.”

Kurami swallows thickly, eyes stinging as she squeezes them shut. Her breath hitches on a sob, and she flings her arms around her mother. Kai holds her as she shatters apart, stroking her hair with one hand while the other rubs at her back. They stay like that for a while, until Kurami’s breathing finally settles and the fire has nearly dwindled to embers. 

Kurami sniffles. “Am I cursed, Mama?” she asks again, the words muffled in Kai’s tunic. 

This time, Kai doesn’t hesitate.

“No, darling,” she says, tightening her embrace. “No, you’re not.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a rewrite of an old fic of mine posted around 2013 outside ao3 (under the same username) called "of shadows and fire." i went on hiatus for a long time (nearly 7 years ago) and left it as an unfinished WIP.
> 
> this story has always held a special place in my heart and i didn't really want to leave this little universe behind, so i decided to overhaul it a little and try writing it again. you don't really need to know much from the old version, i'll do my best to explain it as the fics progress.
> 
> thanks for reading!


	2. chapter one

_Three years later_

The town of Lai Ming was once a military outpost, nestled in the base of the mountains just outside the northern border of the Fire Nation. Nowadays, it’s become a little trading hub for both Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation goods, as well as a peaceful settlement for colonists who wanted to live a little closer to the homeland. It was also one of the few ports that allowed regular travel to and from the main archipelago. 

It’s not the most strategic of locations to attack, but Kurami still thinks that it makes slipping in and out of the borders way too easy.

The sun is just beginning to rise in earnest when she disembarks from the ferry, the salt-smell of the ocean breeze whistling through the loose strands of hair framing her face. She’s dressed for travel in inconspicuous reds and browns, with a light sleeveless robe tied over a loose tunic that leaves her forearms bare, fingerless gloves, and trousers tucked into sturdy brown boots. 

Kurami approaches the port checkpoint with the other passengers of the ship. It’s manned by a single guard dressed in the uniform of the Home Guard, half-slumped on the counter he’s sitting behind. She hands him her passport, a thin piece of card tied with ribbon that reads _Fire Nation passport, second class. Li Kira._

The guard gives it a cursory glance before looking up and down at Kurami. His eyes linger on the sword at her hip, and a little life returns to his expression. 

It’s a beautiful _liuyedao,_ evidently the work of a craftsman, encased in a scabbard carved from cherry wood and adorned with subtle gold detailing. The gold hilt has a slight curve to it, grip wrapped meticulously in blue cord, and the guard can just make out something engraved into the base of the pommel. 

He returns the passport, giving Kurami another once-over. 

“Fine blade you got there,” he comments. “You know how to use it?”

Kurami smiles thinly. 

“Well enough,” she says.

He waves her through into the docks proper without further incident. There are several wooden fishing boats scattered along the harbor, as well as a few merchants' barges and larger ships meant for long-distance travel. Kurami also notices a beat-up military cruiser anchored near the ferry. It’s old, much smaller than the other Navy ships she’s seen before, and while the secondary gangplank has been lowered, there doesn’t seem to be any crew members around. 

_Probably settled here when it got decommissioned,_ she thinks. 

The first innkeeper she finds gives her a concerned look when Kurami asks for a room, but thankfully decides not to question why a young woman would be traveling on her own. Silently, Kurami is glad that her decision to keep her braid curled up into a bun makes her look a little older than her fourteen years. 

The innkeeper is a motherly sort of woman, with graying hair and kind amber eyes, and she leads Kurami up to a room that locks from the inside. It’s comfortable, simply furnished with a bed, a chair, and a table. On the far wall is a large open window framed by translucent red curtains that float gently as the wind passes through them. Outside, she hears the rush of the ocean and the faint call of petrel-gulls. 

“Now,” the innkeeper says, handing her the key. “You just let me know if anyone here gives you any trouble, alright?”

“Yes, ma’am,” she replies dutifully. 

“We have meals in the common hall downstairs, but the town square has some nice places if you’d fancy those instead.” 

Kurami smiles politely. “Thank you, ma’am.”

The woman pats her shoulder. “Call me Mrs. Wang, dear.”

With that, she leaves Kurami alone to settle in, shutting the door behind her. The teenager sighs, dropping her bag at the foot of the little bed. She’s more careful with her sword, leaning it against the wall by the headboard before she flops down on the bed with a tired sigh. The ferry had only taken two nights to reach Lai Ming, but somehow, the journey had felt much longer. 

_I’ve been spoiled for too long,_ Kurami thinks, amused. _But I’ve kind of missed being on the road._

She reaches into the pocket of her trousers, pulling out a folded piece of paper. She unfolds it carefully, holding it above her head as she rereads its contents.

_My dearest Kurami,_

_I know I promised that I would come back before spring ended, but we’ll have to meet outside Shu Jing this time, I’m afraid. If all goes well, I’ll be in Lai Ming by the next full moon. Meet me at noon in the Whistling Sparrowkeet, a little west of the town square._

_Give the old man my regards. I love you._

_Kai_

Kurami sighs again, dropping her arms to her chest. 

It’s been over a year since she’s last seen her mother, and while the distance wasn’t unusual for them, Kurami had the right to worry a little. Kai had dangerous work in the Earth Kingdom’s resistance efforts, and as an earthbender, she could participate in the more active raids. 

She was always moving, passing messages and supplies and people from one safehouse to another. Kurami used to make those trips with her, but these days Kai just made sure to return to Shu Jing a few times a year to see her and take her somewhere nice, like the fire lily fields. 

Now that she thinks about it, Kurami realizes she hasn’t actually stepped foot outside the home islands in nearly three years. She wonders if it means that she can travel with her mother again, but Kai hadn’t specified to pack for a long trip. All Kurami had right now was some money, a spare change of clothes, some other essentials, and her sword. 

_Oh well. I can just ask her later, anyway._

The full moon is tomorrow night, so she has a full day to go around by herself before she has to meet her mother. She could explore the market and have some early lunch while she’s at it. 

Just then, her stomach growls, as if agreeing with her.

“Alright then, decision made.” Kurami laughs and heaves herself back up. 

~~~

Kurami remembers a few of the grander markets from her childhood, scattered in various towns up in the Earth Kingdom, but Lai Ming is a nice place. It’s not too busy, and there are several stalls selling all manner of goods, from rich cloth and fine jewelry to fresh seafood and spices. The aroma of freshly cooked food fills the air, and before long Kurami finds herself with several sticks of fried dough and roasted meat. She munches happily on them as she browses, idly wondering if she should buy something for her mother. 

She reaches the edge of the market, just past the little square that seems to be the town center. Near the opening of an alleyway, Kurami spots a young boy holding a little cloth doll up in the air. There’s a little girl next to him, too short to reach the doll even when she jumps, nearly in tears. He laughs and pushes her roughly to the ground, sending her into the half-dark of the alley. No one around them seems to notice. 

Kurami frowns, eyes hardening. Her hand flicks towards the children. She curls her fourth and fifth fingers down, spreading the remaining three, and the darkness along the walls begins to thicken. Dark tendrils, almost like smoke, gather behind the girl and grow into the image of a large, shapeless creature. With another flick of her wrist, it towers over the children, reaching out towards the boy. 

The boy screams, backing away in fear. He almost trips on his own feet as he turns and runs back into the marketplace with a cry, dropping the doll as he flees. Some of the market-goers glance curiously at him as he passes, before shaking their heads and returning to their own business. Satisfied, Kurami allows the shadows to fade back into the half-dark, becoming dull and still once more. 

The girl scrambles to her feet the moment the boy runs, whirling around to see what had scared him off, but sees nothing out of the ordinary. After a moment, Kurami turns towards her, and her expression softens. She approaches slowly, scuffing her boots lightly on the pavement so the girl can hear her coming. She crouches to pick up the fallen doll, balancing on her knee so she’s at her eye level. 

“Are you alright?” she asks kindly, holding out the doll.

The girl nods mutely, taking the doll and hugging it tight to her chest. 

“What’s your name? Mine’s Kira.” Her tongue almost stumbles on the alias, but she catches it in time. 

“Akari,” the girl replies softly. 

“Nice to meet you, Akari.” Kurami smiles. 

She’s a little grimy, and between that, her longing stare at the bag in her hands, and the ill-fitting clothes, Kurami connects the dots quickly enough.

“You can have it if you want,” she says, proffering the paper bag. After a moment of thought, she digs in her pocket. She finds seven silver pieces and offers them to Akari as well.

Akari’s eyes widen a little in both shock and suspicion. It takes a little encouragement for her to actually take them, but when she does, she immediately takes a dough stick, almost inhaling it in her excitement. 

When Kurami stands, Akari flings herself around Kurami’s knees in thanks before scampering off through the town square. Kurami smiles to herself, and after a quick glance to make sure Akari will be alright, she moves on. 

~~~

That evening, Kurami is in the common hall of the inn, eating the dinner that Mrs. Wang had almost definitely given her extra portions for. She looks around the room every now and then, casually observing. She’s sitting with her back to a wall, almost in a corner, which gives her the perfect vantage point where no one will really notice her in return. 

Most of the inn’s occupants are sitting alone, like her, but there is a group sitting near the hearth-fire, chatting with each other as they eat. Two of them, both male, are definitely naval soldiers, based on their armor, but one of their companions, a young woman with light brown hair pulled tightly into a ponytail, sits with nearly the exact same military bearing. The fourth member of their party is much more relaxed, talking animatedly with his hands and laughing loudly whenever a joke is made.

A serving girl approaches Kurami’s table, a jug of water in hand. 

“They came in a few weeks ago,” she whispers conspiratorially as she fills Kurami’s cup. “Most of the naval officers like staying on the ships they come in on, or...well.” 

Her face does something odd, and Kurami’s expression sours in realization. 

“Why are they here, then?” she asks.

“Well…” The girl glances around before continuing. “Don’t let anyone know you heard it from me, but I saw some of them escorting someone in when they arrived, all injured looking. Didn’t get a good look at them, but they seemed really important since Mrs. Wang’s being all hush about it now. Won’t even let us into one of the rooms they rented--it’s always one of _them_ bringing food up there.”

She jerks her head slightly toward the group. 

“Some of the other girls are saying it’s--” 

Before the serving girl can say more, she’s called away, and she shoots Kurami an apologetic glance before leaving her alone.

A few minutes later, Kurami sees Mrs. Wang approach the group with a covered plate in her hands. One of the soldiers takes it and smiles, bowing his head slightly in thanks. He turns back to the group and seems to take his leave, before standing and making his way towards the stairs with the plate. Kurami stares curiously after him, wondering if Lai Ming was not as unremarkable as it seemed after all. 


End file.
